About Katy Trail State Park, MO

The Katy Trail is a 237 mile (386 km) trail stretching across most of the state of Missouri.
(Use this link if you're looking for the Dallas Katy Trail).
Over half of it follows Lewis and Clark's path up the Missouri River, where you can
ride beneath towering river bluffs while eagles circle overhead.
After leaving the river, the trail meanders through peaceful farmland and small-town Americana.

America's longest "rails-to-trail" project, formerly the MKT rail line, is flat and scenic.
It's ideal for hiking, running, or cycling on just about any kind of bike.
Horseback riding is also allowed on a 35 mile section of the trail, from Sedalia to Clinton.
Also, the Katy Trail's Tebbetts-Portland section now allows equestrian use.

Runners love to use the Katy Trail for Long Slow Distance runs, because it's flat, scenic,
and the crushed limestone trail surface is easy on your legs.
The only drawback is that there are long distances without access to water, so runners and hikers might need to
carry your their water. Or simply plan your excursion along parts of the trail where the towns offering
water, groceries, or vending machines are not too far apart.
For example, Defiance and Matson are only 1.5 miles apart, and Peers and Marthasville are 2 miles apart.
Lots of towns are about 5 miles from the next town.

Visit the FAQ Page for more general trail information.
Or, dive right in and start planning your ride -- check out the
towns and services along the trail, or build your own
customized list of just the towns and services that interest you.

What's Going On

WINTER on the Katy Trail

The Katy Trail is open year-round, and even in the cold weather there's plenty to enjoy.
When there's snow on the ground, it's a prime spot for cross country skiing.
And it's always great for hikers, runners, cyclists who don't mind the cold.
Without leaves on the trees, you'll get a clearer view of the river, bluffs, and countryside.
Just remember to dress appropriately for the cold, and be aware that some businesses along the trail
close during the winter.

As you browse through the website, you'll see "Closed for the season" next to any businesses that we know to be
closed for winter.
Please let us know if we missed any.
If you are relying on a particular business to be open for you, call ahead just to make sure they really
will be open when you get there.

Get the GUIDEBOOK

Now available: the Updated and Revised 10th edition of The Complete Katy Trail Guidebook by Brett Dufur.
Order online at www.pebblepublishing.com, or at amazon.com.
The Complete Katy Trail Guidebook is a guide to services, towns, people, places and history.
It includes wineries, B&Bs, camping, photos, maps and a fold out map and mileage chart of the whole Katy Trail.
Whether you're hiking, biking or touring by car, this guidebook is the definitive resource to take you there.

One of the best ways to experience the Katy Trail is on an organized group tour.
Typically, the lodging and some meals are prearranged, so you can concentrate on the trail.

There are several organized end-to-end rides each year.
The biggest, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, occurs in mid-June.
Several rides are scheduled each year - as rides are announced, they are added to our list of
organized rides along the trail.

Another approach: there are also tour organizers who will put together a more individually customized ride for you.
In general, they take care of most lodging arrangements, some meals, luggage transfer and point to point
transportation, so you can focus more on the ride itself.
Here is a list of tour organizers operating on the Katy Trail.

Heavy rains and thunderstorms are uncommon in the winter in Missouri, but you should still be prepared, be safe, and be ready for winter weather! After a heavy snow, some parts of the trail may be hard to follow under the blanket of snow. Dress appropriately for cold weather.

Check a weather website prior to your trip.
Weather patterns generally move west-to-east across Missouri, so you can try to predict
your weather conditions by looking at the current
weather radar.

If you like the Katy Trail, you'll also enjoy the
C&O Canal Towpath Trail and
Great Allegheny Passage (GAP).
The C&O runs 185 miles from Washington DC to Cumberland Maryland, along the banks of the Potomac River.
The GAP connects to the C&O at Cumberland MD and runs across a significant part of Pennsylvania.
Together, the C&O and GAP enable you to ride 335 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington DC.